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Congressional Research Service In Depth

Congressional Research Service In Depth

The Congressional Research Committee is essentially the research branch of the United States Congress. The Congressional Research Committee works closely with the Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional Accountability Office. Together, these three offices bring important information regarding money, policy and various endeavors together, in order to give congress a full picture of what they are allowed to do, and how the programs that they have implemented are working.
The Congressional Research Committee is comprised by a number of professional bodies: scientists, librarians, economists, lawyers, and various other professionals. These professionals can be called forth by congressional committees when it comes to the necessity of help regarding what has been implemented in the past, and what types of programs can legally be implemented now. 
By having congressional committees consult lawyers, economists, and reference librarians beforehand, the government can make sure that the congressional committees are operating under their legal rights, and are not infringing upon the rights of the American Public.
It is important to understand that what the Congressional Research Committee does is it simply brings together well-versed and informed professionals in order to keep all information accessible to the congressional committees. The Congressional Research Committee does not influence policy or ask for new policies, they merely inform the committees of the American public’s condition, and necessity for policy, based on the type of policy that is being looked into. The actual policy crafters are the congressional committees, and they are the only ones who can bring these policies to the floor.

National Congress of American Indians

National Congress of American Indians


The National Congress of American Indians was created in the 1944 as an organization dedicated to preserving the rights of the various tribes throughout the nations; this organization came about when the federal government attempted to implement assimilation and termination policies against tribes. These policies went against the treaties that the tribes had agreed to; furthermore, this threatened the statuses of each of these different tribes.

The Indian National Congress has a number of different tribes from the continental United States and the state of Alaska under its protection. This is to ensure that the tribes can work together in order to keep their respective sovereign statuses safe, and are able to still function under one working configuration.

One of the main portions of the National Congress of American Indians is to ensure that the federal government is informed about American Indian treaties and about the rights that they have been ensured. Furthermore, they are also given the chance to air grievances and ask for help regarding specific areas that they need protection in.

Furthermore, the Indian National Congress, also speaks out against any discriminatory aspects that can be brought up in the media. For example, if a politician makes discriminatory remarks during a speech or public appearance, the Indian Congress can issues statements regarding the offense taken, and a request of apology. Essentially the National Congress of American Indians is to preserve the rights of the Indian nation, and ensure that they are afforded respect and a voice within political matters regarding singular or universal tribal interests.

Find Out How to Run for Congress

Find Out How to Run for Congress

 


Congressional elections are a very serious matters regarding the American public. For those who want to run for congress, there is a long build-up to a congressional election. Often, individuals who are running for congress come out of political or law backgrounds; these are lawyers, prosecutors, politicians and various other highly-educated and knowledgeable professionals regarding law and government. 

Regarding what particular congressional body a person desires to obtain a position in, there are different requirements. For the House of Representatives, the individual must be at least 25 years old, and living in the district that they are representing.

Furthermore, any individual who is running for a position in the House of Representatives has to have been a legal citizen of the United States for at least 7 years. There are no specific qualifications necessary to obtain a house representative position. However, it is important to network and make close, political affiliations. 

An individual has to become and candidate from a party, in order to gain backing and be able to attempt a congressional campaign. Individuals who are run for congress and want to be in the Senate have to be a resident of the state that they are representing. Furthermore, there are only two senator positions per state, which makes this race a much tighter one.

In Congressional elections, networking and heavy political backing are essential in order to achieve the votes necessary to gain the win. Once the congressional election is underway, and the candidates have been chosen, it is a matter of campaigning and appealing to the public.

 

House of Representatives vs. Senate

House of Representatives vs. Senate


Congress is the bicameral, governing legislative body of the United States. It is comprised of the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two bodies are groups of elected officials that come together to make decisions regarding important legislative bills and policies that affect a large portion, if not the entirety of the public of the United States.

The Senate is considered to be the more prestigious body, out of Congress; it is made up of 2 senators per every state of the United States. These senators are required to serve 6 year terms.Furthermore, the individual must be a resident of the state they wish to represent. The Senate is one body that helps to create and pass bills in order to implement programs and acts which regulate the United States. They also can help pass amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The House of Representatives is made up of a number of elected officials from each state in the United States. The number of House Representatives is contingent upon how many districts a particular state has been given. However, when it comes to terms, the members of the House of Representatives are only required to serve two year terms before re-election. They are also the individuals that work more closely with their constituency.

The Senate and the House of Representatives come together to vote on bills, amendments, and discuss important issues regarding the status of the United States. Furthermore, they are the governing bodies that have control over military, taxes, and various other important elements in the Nation.

 

 

All You Need To Know About Congress

All You Need To Know About Congress

The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature that governs over the United States. Within Congress there are two separate bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each body is made up of a number of elected officials who serve as the representative figures of their respective states or districts. 
The Senate is made up of 2 senators per every state in the United States. Each of these senators are an elected official from their respective states. All senators elected are given 6 year terms in which they serve in Congress. The senators can vote on bills and Constitutional amendments that are brought to the floor of congress. These votes often require a two-thirds majority from both sections of the Congressional body. 
The House of Representatives is the other section of the Congressional body. This is where elected officials are representative of specific districts within their respective states. Unlike the Senate, the House of Representatives are only allotted a 2 year term before re-election comes around. 
The Senate and the House of Representatives work together when it comes to passing Constitutional amendments and various other important pieces of legislature. In the instance of an amendment, both bodies have to have an affirmative two-thirds majority in order to have the amendment passed onto the state legislatures themselves. 
Besides being able to vote on bills, Congress has been given Congressional power through the Constitution to make decisions regarding the implementation of taxes, laws, military actions and various other decisions of importance for the United States. Congress is essentially the governing body which enforce the U.S. Constitution.

Quick Overview of Congress

Quick Overview of Congress

Congress is an all encompassing legislative body that governs the United States. It is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate; it serves to make laws and grant authoritative power regarding important decisions regarding the United States. 


What is congress?
Congress is the bicameral legislative body used to govern the United States; it is comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is a larger informational institute that is open to the public to visit and browse volumes, but is essentially there to provide necessary resources of historical information for members of Congress, the Supreme Court, and various governmental bodies.

Library of Congress Catalog
The Library of Congress Catalog is an informational tool that is used to document and organize all of the resources that are in the Library of Congress. These are broken down into book selections and photos that have been filed away. 


111th Congress
111th Congress is the currently presiding body of Congress in the United States; the time frame for this body will be from January of 2009 to January of 2011. This group has dealt with issues regarding the economic crisis, and various other national problems. 

110th Congress
The 110th Congress was one of the congresses in session during the end of George W. Bush’s presidency. They dealt with issues regarding Iraq and war efforts. 

Congressional Districts
Congressional Districts are districts designated in each state, which are used as constituency points for the House of Representatives to gain members. Congressional districts are mapped out using Census results regarding population, and previous district lines. 

Congressional Hearings
 
Congressional hearings are meetings that are done in order to investigates or discuss certain areas regarding matters of operation in the United States. This can be used to help implement new policies or revise older ones. 

California Congressional Districts
Californian has the largest number of Congressional Districts; there are 53 congressional district representatives for the state of California, that are seated in the House of Representatives. This includes the current Speaker of the House. 

Congressional Federal Credit Union
The Congressional Federal Credit Union is a banking institution that was created for the sole purpose of helping those who are in congress. This can be for person banking matters, or for congressional committee banking. 

Congressional Reconstruction
Congressional reconstruction was an endeavor taken on in order to reshape Congress and to be able to restrict certain powers of officials, like the President, that would interfere with the progression of Congressional matters. 

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is an organization that is devoted to helping support the those who are in the House of Representatives. The head of the DCCC currently is the assistant to the Speaker of the House, and was appointed to that position. 
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service is a grouping of several organizations that work to bring pertinent and necessary information to the congressional committees. Information about legality, the economy, and references regarding historical documents, or endeavors. This is to help Congress make informed decisions. 
Congress of the People
The Congress of the People is a group that came out of the African National Congress; the Congress of the People is a group that is dedicated to preserving rights for Africans, and started because of an issue of contest regarding the appointment of the President of the ANC around 2008. 

Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a organization devoted to the installation of powers of congress for the colonies, in order to make governmental decisions that would benefit their needs, instead of adhering to instruction from Parliament. 

Members of Congress
There are different types of members of congress; there are Senate members and House of Representative members. Each have their own criteria for the elected positions, and have high-ranking facilitator positions within the respective bodies. 

Bills in Congress
Bills in Congress are important policies that are created and voted on by Congress. Once they are passed in Congress, the bills move to the President of the U.S., the President has the ability to accept or veto these bills. The bills themselves can be issues of taxation, or can be relief efforts, and various other doctrines. 
Congress Approval Rating
The Congress Approval rating is an informal count done to see how the American public feels about the efficacy of Congress, and how they feel about what Congress has implemented. These opinions can be based off of informed research and following of the political government. 

Congress of Racial Equality

The Congress of Racial Equality was an organization that was integral during the Civil Rights movement. It was a non-violent political body devoted to the equal rights, job security, and the stopping discrimination. 

Congressional Term Limits
Congressional Term Limits referred to the number of terms in which an individual can serve in Congress, in the House of Representatives or the Senate, respectively. Currently there are no congressional term limits in place. 

How to Run for Congress
Running for congress requires backing from a political party, and subsequently a significant portion of the constituency one wishes to represent. This requires diligence, and networking, in order to acquire a platform to run on. 

National Congress of American Indians
The National Congress of American Indians is an organization devoted to informing the federal government of Indian relations, and preserving tribal sovereignty for each tribe. 

Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial organizations was an organization devoted to helping alleviate issues regarding industries, and they way they were organized and operated. This particular group had a long road of opposition with the American Federation of Labor; however, the two groups eventually merged together. 
House of Representatives vs. Senate
The House of Representatives and the Senate are the two bodies that make up the United States Congress. These bodies are extremely important because their votes are brought up together to make important decisions and pass bills regarding the United States.

What You Need to Know About The Library of Congress

What You Need to Know About The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the United States oldest and largest library in the nation. It is located in Washington D.C. and it is broken up into a few different buildings. Technically, the library of congress is open to the public as a place for visitation, research, browsing, and various other activities. However, visitors to the library of congress are not allowed to take check out any books from there. That privilege is reserved for the Senators, House Representatives, Supreme Court Justices, and other specified officials of the United States government.

The primary use of library of congress is to look up inquiries that are requested by the members of congress or Supreme Court justices. These inquires go to the head librarian of congress who either researches the specific inquiries themselves, or they delegate the task down to a research state in order to find the information that is necessary.

Often the congressional officials will request the library staff to do the research because of library of congress classification system. This is a system that was created in order to organize the library of congress. Library of congress classification is something that the research professionals are trained in when they were hired by the library. Often, library of congress subject headings are the most looked for and utilized tools, to help find specific information or artifacts that might have been saved for reference at a later date. 


Overall, the library of congress is an informational epicenter regarding history, law, government, and every other aspect necessary for understanding the progression of the United States and it’s relationship to the rest of the world.

Library of Congress Catalog At A Glance

Library of Congress Catalog At A Glance

The library of congress catalog is a tool that can be utilized by the library of congress in order to help organize and make easily accessible the resources that are in the library itself. For individuals who are visiting the library, the library of congress catalog is accessible for the person to be able to look up information on resources, and resources themselves. However, the American public is not allowed to take out the items that are found in the library of congress. 
However, the library of congress has what is referred to as the library of congress online catalog. This is a resource tool that can be used by the American public in order to gain access to specific resources that are within the library of congress. The library of congress online catalog has a search option in which keywords, titles, ISBN numbers or authors can be looked up and all of the resources containing that particular term is displayed. This is helpful for people who know what specifically they are looking for. 
Furthermore, the library of congress photos catalog is another resource tool that can be used online. The library of congress has a number of photos stored up and organized; these are drawings, cartoons, and paintings that all pertain to America and American culture. They too, can be accessed using keywords or specific names of pieces, and artists. The library of congress photos catalog, and the book catalog are extremely important when it comes to recording and understanding the history of the United States.

What Are The Bills in Congress

What Are The Bills in Congress

Bills in congress are the beginnings of policies that are done in congressional committees. U.S. congress bills can be created as a response to disasters that have occurred in the United States; they can also be done in response to serious social issues that have been raised by the public.

When bills in congress are being put together, they are made and then re-drafted several times in order to be concise, and well planned out. Bills have been created in the past few years regarding financial stimulus for the United States public, in order to keep businesses in working order, and to help continue to move forward in a progressive fashion. These types of U.S. congress bills were in response to the serious economic downturn that happened in the United States.

Bills in congress have to be passed by both parties, the Senate and the House of Representatives in order to be moved out of congress and given to the President for consideration. This is done by a two-thirds majority vote in each body. If the affirmative vote is acquired from both bodies, the U.S. congress bills can then be given to the President for consideration.

A President can accept or reject U.S. Congress bills in several different fashions. An act of acceptance of the bill would be the President signing the bill in as a policy. The bill can also become a policy if the President does not return the bill during the time limit given, which is normally ten days. After those ten days are up, the bill automatically becomes policy. The only way this does not happen is if the Congress dismisses before the ten days are up.

However, the President also has the power to veto a bills in congress that have been brought out to him or her. When this happens, the President formally rejects the bill. This, however, can go into reconsideration of the Congress votes another two-thirds majority to have it reconsidered.  U.S. Congress bills often handle money or implement important changes for the betterment of the United States.

Stamp Act Congress

Stamp Act Congress

The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting of delegates from 9 out of the 13 colonies in America. The purpose for this meeting was to discuss the Stamp Act that was imposed on the colonies by Parliament. Parliament is the reigning governing body in England, and it is the body that creates and implements all rules, regulations, acts, taxes, and various other structures that are used on nations, and in various regions.

The Stamp Act was an act passed by Parliament that would have papers stamped with an official seal by Parliament. All of the official paper was to be taxed by England, and the tax was to be paid for, along with the purchase of the paper goods. The reason this tax was implemented was to generate revenue in order to maintain the British Troops that were also stationed in the colonies. The colonies were required to pay for this tax using legal British tender; and they were the most heavily taxed, because the British troops were serving them more than England itself.

The Stamp Act Congress came together on Oct 19, 1765 in New York, in order to discuss the unfairness of the Stamp Act. Through the discourse of the delegates, there was a general census that since the colonies did not have representation in Parliament, it is unfair that Parliament has the right to make laws and implement taxes over this colonies. Instead, the Stamp Act Congress believed that the colonies themselves should have the powers of congress in order to govern themselves, because the colonies knew what they needed better than Parliament.


The Stamp Act congress crafted a document called the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, where the body aired the concerns and necessity for change, in order to gain the powers of congress for their respective lands.